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A 97-minute ‘mistake’

For all Greeks, the main news item on Monday was Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras’ visit to President Prokopis Pavlopoulos to request the dissolution of Parliament and to call a snap election.

For public television, this event was not worthy of any coverage in its main evening newscast. All news was “overshadowed” – or rather was buried – by the first planned event marking ruling SYRIZA’s election campaign.

The management of state broadcaster ERT said in a press release later on that it recognized its “mistake.” A mistake that lasted 97 minutes of airtime. A “mistake” that was not made by mistake. And this is why it is illuminating. It shows how those politicians who campaign as the protectors of the state comprehend it in general.